Ball and socket antenna mounting



Oct. 11, 1960 J. M. OKEEFE ET AL 2,

7 BALL AND SOCKET ANTENNA MOUNTING Filed Feb. 27 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS John M. O'Keefe William E. Engle Russell F. Donnelly ATTORNEYS Oct. 11, 1960 J. M. OKEEF'E ETAL 2,

BALL AND SOCKET ANTENNA MOUNTING Filed Feb. 27, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS John M. O'Keefe William E Engle Russell E Donnelly ATTORNEYS BALL AND SOCKET ANTENNA MOUNTING John M. OKeefe, Hillcrest Heights, William E. Engle,

United States Patent Hyattsville, and Russell F. Donnelly, Landover, Md.,

assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Feb. 27, 1959, Ser. No. 796,180 3 Claims. (Cl. 343-772) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States replacement of the antenna to and from the supporting structure, and for locking the antenna and mounting means in the desired adjusted positions. Furthermore, under combat conditions and in the event that it becomes necessary to remove a damaged antenna from the sup} V porting structure such, for example, as a tower, the invention provides means whereby such an operation may be acomplished within a minimum amount of time. Accordingly, one object of the present invention resides in the provision of a new and improved mounting device for a parabolic antenna which is movable to a plurality of adjusted positions and capable of being locked in any adjusted position.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of an antenna mounting device which may be quickly disconnected from a tower in the event of damage to the antenna. I

Still another object of the present invention is to pro vide a mounting device for a radar antenna wherein the mount and its antenna may be quickly connected in a predetermined adjusted position on its tower.

Still another object is to provide an antenna mounting device of a character which will permit radar operation over a complete circle, while simultaneously permitting each of a plurality of mounts to be moved to a predeter- Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a silo-type tower in which a plurality of radar antennae may be mounted in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the mounting device taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1 and illustrates the detail construction of the mounting device and the manner in which it is secured to the walls of the tower;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the mounting device as viewed from the interior of the silo or r 2,956,280 Patented Oct. 11, 1960 mounting tower and taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the mounting device as viewed from the exterior of the silo or mounting tower and is taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to Fig. l of the drawings, it will be observed-that there is disclosed a tower or silo-type tower generally indicated by the numeral 10 and composed of any material suitable for the purpose such, for example, as concrete or the like and provided with a relatively thick cylindrical wall 11,'within which is mounted a plurality of conventional parabolic radar antennae 12. Each antenna is carried by an adjustable mounting device generally indicated by the numeral 13, Fig. 2, so that each antenna may be adjusted independently with respect to each other and locked in a predetermined position to provide radar coverage throughout as much of a complete circle as may be desired in any particular installation. It will be apparent that a plurality of such towers or silo-type structures, as disclosed in Fig. 1, may be employed and arranged in such a manner, as to provide a suitable radar warning net or the like.

Referring now to Fig. 2 for a more complete understanding of the mounting device 13, it will be noted that the device is provided with a flanged weldment or tubular member 14 having an inner flange 15 and an outer flange 16 thereon, the flanges being disposed within recesses 17, respectively, in abutting engagement with the bottom walls thereof to secure the member 14 to. the wall 11 of tower 10. The interior surfaceof flange 15 carries a plurality of mutually spaced lugs 17', the lugs being secured thereto in any suitable manner, such, for example, as by welding the parts together. The lugs are each provided with a centrally disposed internally threaded bore 18. The flange 16 at the outer extremity of surface thereof is provided with a socket member 19 welded or secured thereto in any suitable fashion, as at 21, the socket member 19 being provided with a spherical recess 22. A paraboloidal reflector supporting member generally indicated by .the numeral 23 is releasably and adjustably mounted-on the wall 11, the reflector R being arranged for nutating and scanning action for purposes which are conventional and familiar to those versed in the art. The member 23 includes an elongated tubular element 24 disposed within member 14 in spaced relationship with respect thereto. Member 23 is threaded at one end as at 25 and provided with an annular flange 26 at the other end thereof, theflange having integrally formed therewith a plurality of radially disposed arms 27. The member 23 is further provided with a spherical or balllike portion 28 which is seated in the spherical recess 22 of member 19 for oscillatory movement thereby to allow angular adjustment of the reflector R. The member 24 and the ball-like portion 28 are provided with a centrally disposed bore 29 extending therethrough in communication with a recess formed by the annular flange 26. Extending through the aforesaid bore 29 and connected to the reflector in a conventional manner is a wave guide 31.

The outerends of arms 27 carry support 32 secured thereto as at 3-3 and to the reflector as at 34 to provide a rigid support for the reflector, as best shown in Fig.

An annular clamp plate or ring generally indicated by the reference character 35 is secured to lugs 17 and includes a body 36 having a spherical surface 37 on one face and a flat surface 38 on the other face thereof in engagement with spacers er washers on the lugs 17, the body being fastened to lugs 17' in any suitable manner such, for example, as by screws 39 threaded into bores 18 in lugs 17. The body 36 is further provided with an enlarged centrally disposed opening 41 for allowing a predetermined angular movement of the tubular mem-. ber 24 with respect to the body 36 when the support 23 is moved to an adjusted position thereby to move' the reflector from an initial position to a position atan: angle with respect to the initial position.

A cone-shaped locking and retaining clamp 4-2 having an annular forwardly .extending portion 43 terminating in a spherical surface 44 in engagement with the spherical surface 37 on body 36 islmovably supported on an actu ating member generally indicated by the numeral- 45. The actuating. member comprises. a, handwheel 46 provided with aboss 47 having a centrally disposed threaded opening therein for threaded engagement with the threads 25- on member 24. The cone-shaped locking member is further provided with a boss 48 having a centrally disposed opening 49 which is freely mounted on a tubular member 51 integrally formed with boss 47, one face, of the boss 48 being in engagement with the boss 47 as at 52' and thus upon rotation of the handwheel the locking clamp 42 moves into locking engagement with clamp plate 35. It will be understood that by this arrangement the support 23 and the reflector R carried thereby may be locked in an adjusted position and a sealing connection may be maintained between the socket and ball structure.

In operation, it will be understood that by unscrewa ing the handwheel 46, the lockingv connection between member 35 and member 43 is relieved, whereupon the reflector support 23 may be oscillated to a new adjustment by reason of the aforesaid ball and socket arrangement. In the event the antenna reflector has suffered damage as by blast or from other causes, the actuating member 45 may be completely removed from member 24 whereupon support 23 together with antenna reflector R and wave guide 31 may be readily detached from the silo. Upon detachment of the aforesaid structures from the silo a replacement antenna reflector, support, and wave guide may be installed and secured in a predetermined adjusted position by actuating member 45 acting in concert with the cone-shaped locking clamp 42 and clamp plate 35.

It will be apparent that the structure disclosed here also provides an efficient seal for protecting. personnel and equipment within the tower not only from weather What is claimed is:

A mounting device for mounting-- an. antenna on a walled structure and comprising a tubular extension secured to said antenna and extending through the wall of the structure, a spherical section mounted on said tubular extension, a spherical socket secured within an opening inthe wall of the structure for receiving said spherical section, a: clamp ring secured to the" inner surface of the wall of the structure, and: clamp means engaging ,said clamp ring and releasably' and removably secured to said tubularextension for clamping saidextension in an adjusted position when tightened: and disconnecting. the extension and antenna from the remaining structure when removed whereby the antenna may be jettisoned.

but from blast effects which may be occasioned by the 2. A mounting device fo'radjustably securing a radar antenna reflector to a walled enclosure and comprising a tubular member rigidly secured at its outer end to the reflector and externally threaded at its inner end, a spherical section. disposed between the outer and inner endsoflsaid tubularmember, a socket member having a spherical seat provided thereon for receiving said spherical section, said socket member being secured .in. a transverse openi-ng'through the wall of the enclosure, a clamp ringsecured to the inner portion of the wall of the enclosure and having a spherical surface thereon, a cone clamp slidably disposed on said spherical surface of the clamp ring andsurrounding the inner end of said tubular member, an internally threaded securing handle threadably engaged with the inner endof said tubular member and in clamping engagement with said cone clamp, and a wave guide extending from said reflector through said tubular member to the interior of said enclosure whereby the antenna and wave guide with its surrounding tubular member may beadjusted through a plurality of positions and secured in any one of such positions.

3. A- mounting device for mounting. an antenna reflector to a walled enclosure comprising a flanged sleeveextending through the wall of said enclosure, a socket member secured to the forward flange of said sleeve and providing a spherical surface thereon, an elongated tubular member extending through the sleeve, a spherical section on said tubular member, a clamp ring secured to the rearward flange of said sleeve and means on the inner end of said tubular member and engaging said clamp ring for's'ecuring the spherical surface of said socket and spherical section together in tight engagement to prevent movement therebetween, said securing means being disconnectable from said tubular member for enabling the latter to be removed from said sleeve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Barnett et al. Jan. 26, 1954 

